Feeding mechanism for cigarette-making machine



March 16, 1.965 -v. D. HAGER ETAL' FEEDING MECHANISM FORCIGARETTE-MAKING MACHINE Filed June 22, 1960 mvENToRs Virgil D. HogerLucien N. Jones` ATTORNE S United States Patent O M 3,173,861 FEEDEIGMECHANSM FOR SESARETTE- MAKING MACHENE.

Virgil D. Hager, Irvington-on-Hudson, NX., and Lucien N. Jones,Richmond, Va., assignors to The American Tobacco Company, New York,NSY., a corporation of New Jersey Filed .lune 22, 196), Ser. No. 37,9396 Claims. (Cl. 299-137) This invention relates generally to tobaccofeeds for continuous rod cigarette machines, and more especially topneumatic winnowers for machines of this type.

The mechanism according to the invention is not only more simple thanheretofore, but includes certain adjustable and other elements sorelated as to provide greatly improved pneumatic winnowing, better dustseparation, and improved economy of operation.

To assure that only select tobacco leaf portions will be used in themanufacture of the cigarette rod, the tobacco must irst undergo aprocess of progressive refinement or selection. Accordingly, and as acustomary preliminary step, previously cured tobacco is shredded, andsome, but not all, of the stems, midribs and other foreign materialremoved. A mass of this shredded tobacco is then supplied to a tobaccofeed machine which is adapted to refine or further select the desiredshredded leaf tobacco from the mass of tobacco. The partially refinedtobacco is fed to a bin in which a moving belt carries the tobaccotoward a feed drum rotatable in the bin. Upon the outer periphery of thefeed drum a plurality of carding pins are mounted so that as the feeddrum rotates within the bin, it picks up a layer of tobacco. Mounted forcounter-rotation re.ative to the feed drum and adjacent thereto is arefuser drum, the two drums forming a nip through which the tobacco ispassed. Immediately adjacent the output of the two drums is a pickerfeed drum roll which picks a predetermined quantity of shredded tobaccofrom the feed drum` In the past it has been conventional to provide amechanical winnowing device which receives tobacco from the picker feeddrum roll and winnows the shredded tobacco by throwing it in differenttrajectories, depending on the different weights of the individualparticles, in order to separate the select leaf portions from heavierparticles such as stems. The denser tobacco stems, midribs and similiarrelatively1 heavy particles will be thrown further by the winnower thanthe lighter leaf fragments from which the stem particles are to beseparated. Accordingly, a trap and collector may be placed in the pathof the heavier foreign particles while the lighter particles includingselected leaf, fall into the rod former in the cigarette making machine.This method is not sufficiently selective as to particle weights, and itdoes not remove dust satisfactorily.

Various suggestions have been made to provide a more eliicient means forremoving stems, midribs and other foreign material from the shreddedmass of tobacco. Thus, it has been proposed, as in winnowing grain, toexpose the shredded tobacco to a current of air which will carry theselect tobacco leaf in one trajectory while permitting the heavierundesirable stem and midrib portions to follow another trajectory. Theterms select tobacco and select leaf portions employed herein refer tothose portions of the cured, shredded tobacco leaf from which highquality cigarettes can be made as distinguished from the denser stems`and mid-rib portions of the leaf and from less dense dust and verysmall particles of tobacco which lower the quality of cigarettes whenpresent therein.

In accordance with the present invention, shredded to- 3,173,86lPatented Mar. 16, 1965 ICC bacco in proper quantities is permitted tofall under coutrolled conditions through a duct into a winnowingchamber. A current of air is blown through the chamber generallyperpendicular to the path of the falling tobacco, and the velocity ofthe air current is so regulated relative to the velocity and density ofthe falling tobacco, that only the lighter materials therefrom,including select tobacco leaf portions, will be carried by the airstream from the chamber. The latter are then deposited by the aircurrent upon a moving belt for later manufacture into a continuouscigarette rod. While these select portions fall toward the belt, thevery small particles and dust Iare lseparated therefrom by the same aircurrent. The heavier tobacco stems and midribs, unable to be supportedby the air current, fall through an opening providing a trap in thebottom of the winnowing chamber.

As a further aspect of the invention, shredded tobacco from a pickerroll is dropped into a feed duct located above the winnowing chamberwhich is provided with a series of inclined baffles to inhibit the fallo-f the tobacco and thus control its velocity of descent.

The inclined baffles are preferably adjustable so that they may be setat the pnoper angle of inclination to assure that the falling stream oftobacco will be fed into the winnowing chamber at the proper rate.Additionally, the battles serve the useful purpose of distributing theshredded tobacco from the picker into a fairly flat, loose web ofuniform thickness for ethcient pneumatic winnowing thereof.

A further feature of the apparatus herein described is that the linetobacco and dust are blown with the desired select leaf portions into aseparation chamber adjacent to the Winnowing chamber. The select leafportions of the tobacco are here deposited upon a conveyor clt but thedust is carnied bythe same air stream through an exhaust outlet in theseparation chamber, The dust particles are subsequently removed from theair stream by a filter or dust separator located in the return air 'ductfrom the separation chamber.

These and other aspects of the invention will be better understood uponconsideration of the following detailed description together with theaccompanying drawing of a pneumatic winnower mechanism constructedaccording to the invention, and which is adapted to feed a cigarettemaking machine.

The drawing comprises a schematic central vertical section of themachine in accordance with the invention.

With reference to the drawing, the feeding mechanism for a cigarettemaking machine is shown to comprise a base structure 8 having a verticalextension 9 on which is mounted an outer casing l@ which iscornpartmented to form a hopper or bin 11 adapted to receive a quantityof prepared tobacco leaf l2. The tobacco leaf l2 constitutes ahomogeneous mass and although, preferably, some of the stem and otherforeign material should have previously been removed from the tobacco,leaving a large portion of usable tobacco leaf in a generally shreddedcondition, much of the stems, midribs and foreign material remain. Thesehave been indicated generally by the darker or heavier lines throughoutthe tobacco l2.

A feed drum 13 is mounted for rotation in the direction of the arrow atone side of the bin and is provided with a large number of peripherallymounted carding pins lll which catch the tobacco and carry a layerthereof around with the drum 13. Adjacent the feed drum 13 is a refuserdrum l5 which is mounted for relative counter-rotation thereto (as shownby the arrow therein) and which is also provided with a plurality ofcarding pins 16. A

j conveyor belt 17 which forms the bottom of the bin il urges thetobacco 12 toward the drums i3, 15. These two drums form a nip throughwhich passes a thin layer or web of shredded tobacco. A picker feed drumroll 1b is mounted for rotation with and adjacent to the feed drum 13and is adaptedto remove a predetermined quantity of shredded tobaccofrom the surface of the feed drum i3.

The shredded tobacco removed from drum 13 falls into a feed, duct 19.Two adjustably inclined baffles or plates 20, 2l, staggered one abovethe other at the lower portion of the duct 19, are adapted successivelyto intercept the falling tobacco leaf. By experimentally adjusting theangle (with respect to the vertical) at which each of the bales 2i), 21is set, the velocity of the falling tobacco may be predetermined within.desired limits. If the baffles are of sheet metal they may be adjustedby bending; otherwise by moving them on friction hinges on which theymaye be supported, or by other Well-known means. The shredded tobaccoleaf, including stems and foreign material, flows from the baiie 21 intoa passage 22, the lower wall 23 of which serves as a third baille forcontrolling the velocity of the falling tobacco. The lower portion 45 ofwall 23 extends into pneumatic duct 24 far enough to form a constrictionor port 25 through which air flows at high velocity. This wall portion45 is perforated to permit some of the air to blow through the shreddedtobacco as it descends toward the port 25. As a result, the mass oftobacco is loosened and the smaller tobacco particles begin to separatefrom the larger particles before reaching the port 25. This assures morecomplete separation of the select tobacco from the heavier parts in thewinnowing chamber below referred to.

The operation of the apparatus above described is such that apredetermined quantity of shredded tobacco leaf, including someundesirable particles such as stem or other foreign material, will befed from the feed duct 19 into a winnowing chamber 26 locatedimmediately below the feed passage 22 at a rate controlled by the angleof inclination of the adjustable baffles 2) and 2l.

Leading into the chamber 26 from the right, as viewed in the drawing, isthe mentioned pneumatic duct 24 which is supplied with moving air at avelocity adjustable by a vane 27. The column of moving air in the ductpasses through the winnowing chamber 26 in a direction generallytransverse to the gravitational path which the tobacco leaf follows whenspilled from the feed passage 22. The velocities of the falling tobaccoand of the moving air column are regulated so that the heavy tobaccostem particles will be relatively unaffected by the air current and,passing through it, will fall through a discharge opening or trap 28 inthe bottom of chamber 26. The lighter particles including selectshredded tobacco leaf thus separated from the heavier particles, areblown at an angle slightly above the horizontal, through an exit nozzle29 from the chamber 26, into the adjacent separation chamber 30. Afallout of select shredded tobacco leaf will consequently be depositedin a continuously forming layer upon the moving belt 31, which travelsat a slightly greater upward angle than the jet from the exist nozzle.The tobacco so selected is carried by the belt 31 through aselect-tobacco exit formed between the end of the belt traverse andfeeder roll couple 32, 33 to a picker roll 34 and thence to the feedchute 35.V This chute feeds the tobacco to the rod former of thecigarette making machine, as indicated in the drawing.

The chamber 30 is provided with seals 36, 37, 38 which` permit apressure differential to exist therein relative to the exterior of thecasing 10. Accordingly, substantially all of the air blown into thechamber 30 will be exhausted through an exhaust opening 39 in the wallof the casing situated in the upper lefthand corner of chamber 3G, asillustrated. Thus, light finely divided foreign materials such astobacco dust and similar undesired material will be carried by the airleaving the chamber 3) through the exhaust opening 39. The pneumaticwinnower of the present invention therefore not only separates theheavier particles from the select shredded leaf tobacco, but alsoseparates fine dustlike materials therefrom.

As shown in the phantom lines, the exhaust opening 39 leads to anexhaust-blower 4@ which withdraws air from chamber 30 and blows itthrough a connecting duct 4l into dust filter-collectors 42, d3. Filtersof the cyclone separator type have proved to be especially satisfactory.The cleaned air from the filter-collectors passes through return duct 44and air-velocity adjuster 2,7 into pneumatic duct 24 to be recirculated.The air adjusting device 27 may be of any suitable form and may belocated in any other preferred position in the air-circulating system.

lt will be understood that various departures from the specificstructure shown and described above may be made by those skilled in theart without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.Accordingly, the invention is limited only by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Tobacco feeding and selecting mechanism including a pneumaticwinnower comprising atwinnowing chamber, tobacco feed control4 means forcontrolling the descent of a stream of shredded tobacco into saidchamber, said shredded tobacco including select leaf portions, heavierportions and lighter dust-like portions, said feed control meansincluding a series of relatively inclined baies over which the tobaccodescends in succession, a pneumatic duct for conducting a stream of airin a direction substantially only transverse to the descending stream oftobacco, at least a portion of the lowest one of saidV baiiles extendinginto said duct and having perforations through which part of said airstream blows into the descending tobacco to loosen the same and toseparate at least some of said lighter portions therefrom, said ducthaving a lower wall and said last-mentioned baille portion being spacedfrom said lower wall to form therebetween a port which directs the.remainder of said air stream in a jet across the winnowing chamber,means for maintaining the velocity of said jet such as to carry with itsubstantially only portions of shredded tobacco which are lighter thansaid heavier portions, and means for receiving said heavier portions.

2. Tobacco feeding and selecting mechanism including a pneumaticwinnower comprising a winnowing chamber having a tobacco-receivingopening at the top, a tobacco feed duct emptying into saidtop opening, aseries of downwardly and relatively inclined baflles arranged in saidfeed duct between the top and bottom thereof over which the tobaccodescends so as to impede the normal gravitational descent of tobaccotoward the chamber, one of said baffles extending downwardly to form aWall of said chamber, said Wall having a plurality of perforationsadapted to form a large number of small air jets into the mass ofdescending tobacco, and a port below said perforated wall shaped todirect a larger single jet of air across said chamber and thussubstantially transverse to the stream of tobacco falling across it, theangle of inclination of at least one of saidl baffles being adjustableto control the rate of descent of tobacco in said duct.

3. Tobacco feeding and selecting mechanism including a pneumaticwinnower comprising a winnowing chamber having a top tobacco-receivingopening and a bottom heavy particle discharge opening, a generallyvertically disposed tobacco feed duct having atop inlet opening and abottom discharge opening emptying into the top opening of said winnowingchamber and to a series of downwardly and oppositely inclined bafflesarranged in said feed duct between the top and bottom openings thereofso as to impede the gravitational descent of the Vfeed tobacco towardthe discharge opening of said feed duct, said winnowing chamber having aport at one side thereof below said bailles and means for maintaining astream of air through said port, said port being disposed to direct saidstream of air substantially only perpendicularly to the stream oftobacco as the tobacco falls across said air stream, and a nozzle at theside of said chamber opposite said port having a discharge end and anintake end into which said air stream is directed, said air streamhaving a velocity suicient to carry select shredded leaf tobacco andparticles finer than said select tobacco into said nozzle but insucientto carry particles heavier than said select tobacco, whereby saidheavier particles fali to the bottom of said winnowing chamber and intothe bottom heavy particle discharge opening thereof, and a separationchamber into which said nozzle discharges, said separation chamberincluding means for separating tine particles from select tobacco.

4. Tobacco feeding and selecting mechanism according to claim 3, inwhich said means for maintaining a stream of air comprises pneumaticduct means and a blower and dust separating means included therein, saidwinnowing chamber comprises an extension of said pneumatic duct, saidchamber port is at least partly defined by one of said bafiies and awall of said pneumatic duct, and said nozzle mearis providing aconstricted outlet of said winnowing chamber.

5. Tobacco feeding and selecting mechanism according to claim 4 in whichsaid blower, said pneumatic duct means and both of said chambers areinterconnected in a closed pneumatic system, so that said air jet ismaintained by recirculated air, said separation chamber, said nozzle andsaid air stream being so proportioned and relatively disposed thatparticles iiner than the select tobacco are maintained agitated in theseparation chamber and thus are removed therefrom by the action of saidblower.

6. Tobacco feeding and selecting mechanism according to claim 3 in whichsaid separation chamber is iarger than said winnowing chamber, saidmeans for separating includes a moving belt in said separation chamberupon which said select shredded leaf portions of tobacco fall from saidnozzle, means for receiving said select tobacco from said belt, an airoutlet in said separation chamber, and air conducting means including ablower and dust separating means connecting said air outlet to saidmeans for maintaining a jet of air in said winnowing chamber so as tomaintain the air jet principally with re-circulated air.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 147,797Schwab Feb. 24, 1874 973,698 Pugibet Oct. 25, 1910 1,755,080 SchunemannApr. 15, 1930 1,903,931 Molins et al Apr. 18, 1933 2,267,326 EissmannDec. 23, 1941 2,634,171 Williams Apr. 7, 1953 2,727,518 Carder Dec. 20,1955 3,026,878 Essmann Mar. 27, 1962 3,030,965 Labbe Apr. 24, 1962FOREIGN PATENTS 109,728 Austria May 25, 1928 626,782 Germany Mar. 2,1936 819,014 Germany Oct. 29, 1951

1. TOBACCO FEEDING AND SELECTING MECHANISM INCLUDING A PNEUMATICWINNOWER COMPRISING A WINNOWING CHAMBER, TOBACCO FEED CONTROL MEANS FORCONTROLLING THE DESCENT OF A STREAM OF SHREDDED TOBACCO INTO SAIDCHAMBER, SAID SHREDDED TOBACCO INCLUDING SELECT LEAF PORTIONS, HEAVIERPORTIONS AND LIGHTER DUST-LIKE PORTIONS, SAID FEED CONTROL MEANSINCLUDING A SERIES OF RELATIVELY INCLINED BAFFLES OVER WHICH THE TOBACCODESCENDS IN SUCCESSION, A PNEUMATIC DUCT FOR CONDUCTING A STREAM OF AIRIN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY ONLY TRANSVERSE TO THE DESCENDING STREAM OFTOBACCO, AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE LOWEST ONE OF SAID BAFFLES EXTENDINGINTO SAID DUCT AND HAVING PEROFRATIONS THROUGH WHICH PART OF SAID AIRSTREAM BLOWS INTO THE DESCENDING TOBACCO TO LOOSEN THE SAME AND TOSEPARATE AT LEAST SOME OF SAID LIGHTER PORTIONS THEREFROM, SAID DUCTHAVING A LOWER WALL AND SAID LAST-MENTIONED BAFFLE PORTION BEING SPACEDFROM SAID LOWER WALL TO FORM THEREBETWEEN A PORT WHICH DIRECTS THEREMAINDER OF SAID AIR STREAM IN A JET ACROSS THE WINNOWING CHAMBER,MEANS FOR MAINTAINING THE VELOCITY OF SAID JET SUCH AS TO CARRY WITH ITSUBSTANTIALLY ONLY PORTIONS OF SHREDDED TOBACCO WHICH ARE LIGHTER THANSAID HEAVIER PORTIONS, AND MEANS FOR RECEIVING SAID HEAVIER PORTION.